by S C Gowland
‘But real and long since dead?’ said Kaoldan.
‘Finally? Oh yes, nearly five hundred years ago now I think.’ She grinned. ‘And most definitely real.’ Nodding in agreement.
‘What do you mean finally?’ asked Zalen his face confused.
‘He died on many occasions, apparently. But his soul remained.’ She nodded. ‘Not claimed by the Abyss until around the three hundredth year of his reign.’
‘Three hundred years?’ exclaimed Kaoldan moving to the edge of his seat.
She nodded sagely. ‘Yes, something like that. Over three hundred years he ruled before his soul was claimed.’
‘How did he live for that long?’ asked Zalen.
‘Ah now that is an interesting story.’ She smiled face twisting.
The noise was a dull phut.
Almost silent, apart from the fly sized dart that appeared in her cheek.
Her face looked surprised for a second, right eye twitched, then she let out a weary groan. A pink light began to emerge from her body and through her shawl. She slumped deeper into the seat and the full brightness of the pink image of her body slowly began to rise up limply out of the seat.
Kaoldan and Zalen both flinched back in horror as the light grew brighter. Zalen turned towards the door. A dark hooded figure was kneeling to the side of the entrance. So well hidden that it almost appeared to be part of the wrecked frame. It paused, then in a blink of an eye disappeared, the sound of soft footsteps hammered on the floor.
Kaoldan and Zalen sprang from the sofa and piled after it. Their footsteps echoed down the corridor. Zalen was faster, and he turned left then right and left again chasing the sound. Kaoldan followed, looking ahead whilst reaching for his weapon. They ran taking turn after turn, finally finding themselves back at the main hall of the 13th floor. They both looked about the room frantically, breathing in deeply as they did so.
A scream pierced the crowd and Kaoldan’s head darted to the right side just quick enough to see the dark-clad figure look in their direction and then with a crash, burst through a window. The Walkers charged down the steps towards the window. The wind ripped through the hall, thick brown curtains bellowed out and upwards, papers erupted into the air, more screams of both anguish and fear. As they reached the window, the wind whipped at them. Zalen removed his shield from his back with a metallic clang, raised it in front of him and darted his head out them back in doing so several times looking at different angles.
‘That way.’ He pointed right to Kaoldan; who nodded and prepared his own shield on his left arm, forearm sliding through the loop and fingers finding the comfortable and familiar leather grips. He raised it to cover his upper body, nodded to Zalen.
‘Go.’ He said simply, and they both stepped through the window onto the ledge.
The sight that greeted them was dizzying. Thick branches and dense foliage; combined with the wind made for a complete assault on their senses. They paused to acclimatise. Kaoldan looked in the direction Zalen had pointed and squinted. The light was poor, and the wind made it difficult to see. He used his shield to deflect the best efforts of the wind and he caught a glimpse of a shadow moving along one of the branches.
‘That way.’ He shouted at Zalen, who nodded back. They slowly made their way out onto the branch.
The wind buffeted them with combinations of small and large blasts, all capable of knocking them both around. Their progress was slower than Kaoldan would have liked by having grabbed a quick look down he reassured himself that slow progress sideways was much better than quick progress downwards. They steadily made the way along the branch, even though the width was that of a well sided road it still required careful steps.
Zalen paused and kneeled down the wind making his shield appear to tremble in his arm.
‘That way’. He shouted over the roar of the wind nodding towards the steadily growing sunlight, away from the darker shade of the main trunk.
Kaoldan crouched, look through and smiled.
Trapped. He looked at the figure carefully making good progress towards the end of the branch.
It’s dark clothing flapped wildly in the wind. To Kaoldan’s surprise the clothing appeared to be growing outwards. It then turned towards the crouched Walkers, waited, calmly waved and then turned and ran full pelt towards the edge of the thinning branch and leapt off the end.
Zalen and Kaoldan both stood lowering their shields in joint disbelief at what they were seeing. The dark shadow fluttered then gained a starched canopy shape as it caught the wind. It slowly and patiently descended towards the ground like a leaf on the breeze.
Chapter 13 - Traitor’s Scratch
‘Most definitely Traitor’s Scratch I’m afraid.’ said Brooks, removing his glasses, looking up at Kubrean.
‘It’s the purple spiders’ web effect around the entry wound.’ He pointed carefully to the mark on the right cheek of the old lady, illuminated by the light of the candle he held.
‘She died within seconds. No pain mercifully. One of the better poisons, if one had a choice.’ he said struggling to his feet. ‘It is rarely used, very expensive by all accounts and a favourite when dealing with, well, traitors. Never thought I’d see it being used within these walls.’ He looked around before shuddering slightly. ‘Funny really. Studying poisons for years, one never really considers the fact they kill people.’ He smiled weakly. ‘All seems so real when you see it close up.’ He slowly moved the brown shawl to cover the face of the silent and relaxed looking old lady.
‘Her name was Eurenia by the way. She was one of the oldest and longest serving lecturers at the university. She knew more than anyone and would have had the knowledge you sort.’
‘Thank you for your efforts.’ nodded Kubrean. ‘If we need any more assistance, I will let you know.’ Offering the door to Brooks, who thinly smiled and left. Kubrean waited until he had left the room before turning to Kaoldan wedged up against the wall arms folded.
‘Somebody really wanted her dead and properly.’ he said eyes fixed on the red velvet chair containing Eurenia’s body. ‘What could she possibly have known?’
‘We’ll never know now.’ said Kaoldan looking out the window before turning to face Kubrean. ‘Interesting development though.’ his eyebrows raised.
‘One I would rather have avoided, given the choice.’ inclined Kubrean. ‘Let’s get the others together. I need to think, and we also need to see if anyone else found out anything else from another source.’
***
‘Nothing?’ asked Kubrean resting back into his seat looking at the blank faces and shrugs of shoulders around him. ‘All these clever people and they can tell us nothing.’ He turned resting his chin on his hand and blew out a long weary breath.
‘Nobody was able to tell us anything of note.’ shrugged Dalon, moonlight caught half of his face and he shuffled out of its glare.
They had convened in more comfortable surroundings of a fully furnished, but very empty and dimly lit common room. It was a large round room, a circle of drably coloured chairs with a small table at its centre. It had done little to calm Kaoldan his anxious mood as he gazed out of the window into the night.
Through the ice-like glass it showed Prava in all its glory from about seven floors up. It spread out in front of them like a dark painting, veins of roads with a series of dots of light throughout and red slated roofs spread out before them cast in deep shadow.
Kaoldan glanced downwards out of the window, failing to recollect how he had been able to venture out onto a branch even higher up to try to catch the assassin. He looked straight down, rising onto his tiptoes, and shuddered.
‘So, they just jumped?’ said Zahara open mouthed looking at Zalen.
‘Yup.’ he nodded. ‘Like some sort of crazy bird floating down to the ground. Nothing we could do.’
‘An arrow in the back?’ suggested Kryst.
‘No chance with that wind.’ said Zalen. ‘You should try going out there.’
Kry
st shook his head. ‘Not a chance.’
‘So, we really do have nothing?’ said Romina. ‘No idea who this person was or why they would want Eurenia dead? And no clue what she knew that they did not want sharing? Brilliant.’ she said sitting back, arms folded.
‘Wrong.’ said Kaoldan taking quite a few steps away from the window. ‘We know that Reng is real and not myth. We also know that he is dead.’
‘By a good five hundred years.’ added Zalen with a nod.
‘But also, that he did live for three hundred years or thereabouts.’ continued Kaoldan.
‘Really?’ scoffed Zahara.
‘Most definitely.’ said Zalen ‘Eurenia was most certain about that.’
‘Sure she wasn’t losing it?’ said Dalon poking the side of his head.
‘No, she was highly regarded, by everyone we spoke to.’ said Kryst his deep voice reverberating around the room.
‘Most definitely.’ said Kubrean. ‘I’d go as far as to say she was revered around here. No mention or hint of bad memory or such. Old, but very reliable.’
‘As I was saying.’ said Kaoldan ‘She was certain of everything that she said. I believed her.’ he shrugged. ‘We also know that whatever she was about to share with us was about Reng and his long life. She said that he had died on many occasions, but his soul had not been claimed by the Abyss.’ he narrowed his eyes in concentration.
‘Useful to know.’ said Romina pulling a face.
‘Without a doubt.’ said Kaoldan beginning to pace around the circle of chairs. ‘The question is how did he lived for over three hundred years and that appears to be the key piece we are missing. We don’t know how long the assassin had been listening with the door wide open.’
‘Dodgy hinges.’ said Zalen straight faced.
‘Open.’ continued Kaoldan. ‘But still they could have waited and acted at that point or just arrived and done it straight away. We have no way of knowing for certain. The key thing is that someone does not want us to know more about Reng and I think it’s logical to suggest his long life is the something that someone doesn’t want us to find out about.’ He turned to the group.
‘Not a bad start.’ said Kubrean. ‘But we are still guessing, more or less.’
‘I suppose so.’ said Kaoldan looking rather crestfallen. ‘Main thing is that we now need to get back to update Duke Lomann.’
‘That we know nothing.’ joked Zalen.
‘Do you mind?’ said Kaoldan tartly hands on his hips.
‘Sorry.’ replied Zalen ‘Just joining in.’
‘We may know nothing, but the fact we now know nothing tells us something.’ said Kaoldan.
‘What?’ asked Zahara shaking her head and spreading her hands.
‘That someone will go to extraordinary lengths to stop us from finding out, and that is something important.’ finished Kubrean with a satisfied smile.
‘It’ll have to do, I suppose.’ said Kryst with a frown. ‘ It may be worth doing one final sweep of the lecturers and maybe check through the library.’ he shrugged.
‘I’ll help.’ said Dalon.
‘Well volunteered.’ said Kubrean a smile growing on his face as he turned to face him.
Kryst mouth opened and closed but no words came out.
‘Nicely done.’ said Zalen, stifling a smile badly behind his hand.
‘And that makes three.’ said Kubrean to the rest of the room.
Zalen sat up straight, smile gone. He looked at Kubrean and sat back in his chair muttering something under his breath.
Kaoldan stood stone faced, eyes smiling.
‘You two can stay here and check the library the rest of us can head back and speak to Duke Lomann. He wanted more information and for what it’s worth, we do have something to tell him.’ said Kubrean. ‘Besides there is someone else I want to speak to rather urgently.’ He glanced at Kaoldan and rested a reassuring hand on Romina shoulder.
‘It’s been a long day. I suggest that we all get some rest. We have a long journey ahead of us and you two have a lot of books to get through, starting tomorrow.’ he looked around the room at a group of slowly nodding heads.
Zalen was the first to rise from his seat, he stretched his arms theatrically, his mouth a yawning chasm, a complete ripple of yawns followed all except the two young girls, who looked at each other amused. The benefits of youth Kaoldan thought to himself.
They left as a group heading back towards the training facility on the other side of Prava. Brooks had made the necessary arrangements for them to stay. Kaoldan was amazed at how tired his arms were, his mind felt like a rock nothing able to get in, nothing able to get out.
The journey back to the training facility progressed at a leisurely pace affording Kaoldan time to reflect: the day had not exactly gone as he had intended. The research into Reng had taken him down unexpected avenues, the encounter with the dark assassin and the loss of what appeared to be their only source of information.
It was the encounter with the assassin that had the perplexed Kaoldan the most. There was something strangely familiar about it: had he imagined the wave? It was difficult to explain, and it nagged the back of his brain like an irritating inch.
Kaoldan rode alone at the front of the group he looked over his right shoulder to see Kubrean, Romina and Zahara laughing and joking together.
He felt a pang of regret tinged with jealousy. It was stupid really, he realised that but still couldn’t help but linger on the fact that since they had left university, he had hardly spoken to his daughters; it was clear that there was much distance between them and that he had much work to do to rebuild relationships with them. He felt hot anger rising in his chest, seeing how easily they spoke to Kubrean, the closeness of their relationship, the fact that everything was just so easy.
He thought back to times before they left and when they were close when they were a family with no distance between them at all. The tightest group. But things had changed, Tokel had been right about that. Was it irreparable? He could not say.
Was it too much to expect that they could be together as a family once again? That the closeness would return, perhaps damaged but still there?
It was impossible to predict the effect on all of them and given the fact a substantial stubborn streak was a commonality in all members of the family the outcome was far from a certain one. Kaoldan reflected that perhaps he had been successful, that they had grown, stronger and independently exactly as he had hoped. But in the back of his mind a doubt arose that there may yet be unforeseen consequences to his actions.
They turned a corner to their left revealing a long line of trees silvery and shadowed in the moonlight. As they slowly rose up the hill leading towards the training facility the heads of the City Watch could be seen popping in and out of this small sentry boxes looking towards the group of Walkers. They entered the courtyard in silence slowly heading to their rooms polite goodnights were said, Kaoldan nodded reassuringly towards his daughters who returned the courtesy before they disappeared into the shadows of their accommodation. A small smile appeared on Kaoldan’s face. Maybe everything would be alright after all.
***
Kaoldan slept fitfully that night. He tossed and turned, his mind a rush of ideas, words, feelings and thoughts. At the forefront of his mind the thoughts of his daughters. How much they had changed, and reassuringly how much they had not. He sniffed in the night air considering the difficulties he now faced in building and rebuilding this relationship with them. They had clearly grown up very well without him; it made him feel sort of redundant, a spare part, unnecessary, unneeded, unwatched and strangely unloved.
The love between the two of them was clear for all to see, they were close. He couldn’t even begin to think about how he might be able to integrate himself back into their lives, to attempt to bring their family back together. Or even if that was the right thing to do.
He began to understand Kubrean’s reasons for bringing them back together. It had been too
long, too much time had passed, and too many things had changed and yet many things had not.
He still felt a protectiveness for both of his daughters and was still unsure of how best to shield them from the world, when he had failed once he would not fail them again. One thing was for sure he would try, and he would try his best. It would take time and progress would be a slow and uncertain, but he was determined he had to make it work.
He stared at the ceiling for the hundredth time, just shadows in the night for company, Dref snoring loudly in the corner. It was no good he was going to have to do something.
He rose quietly dressed himself in simple clothes slipped on his comfortable shoes and left his room. Snuck down the stairs in the dark, wood creaking on this way downstairs he left by the front door eager to seek fresh air and open space.
The night outside was well lit with moonlight trees silvery and cast in shadows, the soil hard and reassuring. He ground the balls of his feet into the earth, it felt good, reassuring. His feet barely making a sound as he slowly made his way away from buildings towards the trees ahead.
Events of the day still swirled around filled his head, the strange familiarity with the assassin. Questions that remained unanswered about Reng; three hundred years was a very long time, many lifetimes during which souls would have been absorbed by the Abyss. It was difficult to know what to think. Eumenia had most definitely known what she was talking about and yet. Something was missing. He was uncertain what it was as he ventured deeper into the wood.
It was after a few moments he found himself surrounded by thick high trees in the dark as he became aware of a light ahead of him. It moved steadily left and right like a firefly surrounded by leaves. Cautiously the trees parted like a pair of curtains thick and velvety ahead of him was a dark figure holding a glowing green blade.
Kaoldan quietly approached, hiding behind a tree but still keen to observe the dark figure in the moonlight moving slowly but purposefully left and right hacking ducking and diving. The blade continued its movement swirling, twisting in wide circles. It moved with grace and a kind of fluidity that showed intense skills and confidence. The green colour of the blade caused the shadows to shift in the trees It was only when the figure spun to face him that he saw a blonde ponytail swish as her body continued to twist and turn.
